


Eye for an Eye

by artisticpear



Category: Jericho (US 2006)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Branding, Hurt, Injury, Pining, Punishment, Theft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:35:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28166343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artisticpear/pseuds/artisticpear
Summary: What if they didn't get Dale out of the Black Jack fairgrounds (but he didn't get hung because I can't do that to my boy)Episode 13 spoilers I guess
Relationships: Skylar Stevens/Dale Turner
Kudos: 1





	Eye for an Eye

"Look, he's sorry, he's just a kid-" Johnston followed the group as they drug Dale toward the front of fairgrounds where the cold corpse they saw upon entry hung. 

"Sorry or not, management has a policy with thieves. We were very clear." They drug Dale by the collar of his jacket towards a small trailer that must have served as a ticket booth when the fair grounds were still operational. In front of such was a barrel, from the looks of it a burn barrel with what looked like some old timber sticking out of it. 

Another man was sitting by the barrel. Something was gestured, but the greens and Lasinski were too far away to make anything out. The man rose, grabbing one of the items that stuck out of the barrel.

"Hey, what in the hell are you doing?" Jake stepped forward, just to be pushed back by one of the guys who grabbed dale. Their quarrel was interrupted by the sound of Dale's scream. Jake had barely ever heard the kid speak, much less hear any form of panic. Punches were thrown, Johnston grabbed Dale from the group and they were in Jake's beat up Plymouth Roadrunner in no time. 

"You're not gonna make it through that gate, son, stop." Johnston insisted, while Heather checked over Dale in the back seat. His face flooded with pain, almost registered unable to speak. She lifted his shirt, which was starting to become sticky with blood. A harsh, dark red mark was imprinted into his side, like a brand to a cow. He hisses. 

"How's he doing back there, Heather?" Jake asks, ignoring his father's insisting and following the trucks in front of him, as they were there to help him. 

"Jake, I don't know a thing about medicine," Heather helped Dale lay down slightly. "You need to get him to the med center."

"What happened?"

"Looks like a burn." Heather ran a hand through Dale's curly hair. "They branded him." She moves his shirt and jacket out of the way so the wound could breathe. 

"Jake-" Johnston started to speak at the truck in front of them rammed through one of the trailers at the front. Jake follows the truck until they're out of sight and able to stop so he could assess Dale's condition. Heather talks to Ted as the Greens hover over Dale. 

"It's cauderized, it's just leaking." Jake says as he carefully looked over the wound, "get him some water." Johnston nods and gets the water, helping Dale up enough to drink it. 

Jake makes his way to Constantino and his people, along with Heather. Despite his disapproval, Heather ends up leaving with the New Bern folks. Johnston moves to the back of the car with Dale, and Jake speeds his way back to Jericho. They have Dale up practically before Jake even gets to park and rushes him into the med center. 

It's not long until the word gets out, one of their party gone and one injured. Skylar is practically the first one into the Med center after receiving the news. "Jake?" 

"Skylar." Jake nods as she steps up. 

"What happened? Is he alright?" She looks at him worried, but demanding. 

"He'll be fine." Jake nods, his arms crossed over his chest. "Just needs rest."

"That doesn't answer what happened." Jake sighs.

"He was branded." Her hand covers her mouth. "As a sort of punishment for attempting to steal."

"Why didn't you stop them?" 

"I tried, Skylar." Jake looks down. 

"But-"

"Skylar it's fine." Their eyes shift over to the doorway. 

"Dale!" She rushes over. "How are you feeling?"

"Be careful." Jake warned, walking over to him. 

"I'm okay." Dale gave a small nod. Skylar shook her head. 

"No you're hurt."

"It was my fault, sky." He sighs. "I'll be fine, it just has to heal." Jake puts a light hand on Dale's shoulder. Dale looks at him, then down.

"Sorry." He blurts out. "I shouldn't have taken that chance."

Jake sighs and nods. "I'm just glad you're okay, Dale." 

"Thanks." Jake nods. 

"You shouldn't be up, Dale." Gail rounds the corner. 

"I'm fine, Mrs. Green."

"Honey you have third degree burns, you need to be careful." Gail sighs. If Dale was any more stubborn he could be mistaken as one of the Green boys. 

"Mrs. Gail?" Skylar speaks up.

"Yes?"

"Dale's been staying with me." She pauses and looks down at his bandages before speaking again, "could you run me through what needs to be done so he heals correctly?" 

"Of course sweetheart." Gail led her down the hallway to give her some supplies. 

"You better keep her." 

"What?" Dale looks up at him.

"She cares about you." Jake chuckles. "A lot."

"Yeah.. I guess she does."


End file.
